Writer Jim Citrin interviewed 20 CEO's and found one thing most of them have in common: they wake up early and make strategic use of those first, calm hours of the day.

Steve Murphy, CEO of publishing company Rodale, says, "A line in a William Blake poem inspired me to think differently about my day: 'Think in the morning, act in the noon, read in the evening, and sleep at night.' This has made a huge difference in my life. Now, I take out a yellow pad every morning and write my thoughts for the day, which allows me to be much more strategic and proactive than reactive."

At this point I must confess: I am NOT a morning person. But the days I do get up and tackle important tasks first thing are definitely my best days productivity-wise. Sounds like this is the case for Wendy, too. What do you do to maximize the AM hours? Extra points if you've got tactics that help sleepyheads. Let us know in the comments. — Gina Trapani